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While BBC bosses have announced a total of 17 pros for this year's series - including six newbies - there will only be 15 celebrity contestants.

It means two of the pros will only be involved in the group performances and act as standbys in case another pro is injured.

Earlier this year the BBC confirmed that Kristina Rihanoff, Ola Jordan, Aliona Vilani, Tristan MacManus and Gleb Savchenko would not be back for the 2016 pro line up.

New faces in their place are world-class Latin and Ballroom dance experts including World Champion Katya Jones, Ukrainian Champion Oksana Platero and top Spanish dance professional Gorka Marquez.

Also joining Strictly are a trio of British dancers including World Champion Neil Jones and British and European Youth Latin and Ballroom Champions, AJ Pritchard and Chloe Hewitt, who will be the youngest ever professional dancers to appear on Strictly Come Dancing.